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E. A. ()onmss, Administratrix.

CYLINDER RELIEF VALVE.

No. 388,264. Patented Aug. 21, 1888.

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(NO Model.) ad 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. A. Conmss, Administratrix. CYLINDER RELIEF VALVE.

No. 388,264. Patented Aug. 21, 1888.

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rrnn STATES GEORGE E. GORLISS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND; EMILY A. CORLISS ADMINISTRATRIX OF SAID GEORGE H. CORLISS, DECEASED.

CYLINDER RELlEF=VALVE.

r..- A-CIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. $88,264:, dated August 21, 1888.

(No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. (lonLIss, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, haveinvented anew and useful Improvement in Cylinder Reliei Valves, of which the following is a specification.

My invention resides in the construction and arrangement of the relief-valves, the dis 1o charge-pipes, and an elliptical spring centrally supported, so as to act as an equalizer of the pressure exerted upon said valves, and in the mechanism for applying and adjusting the pressure upon the valves.

The purpose of my invention is to afford a convenient and reliable means for the automatic reliet'ot' the cylinders from undue pressure from water which may accumulate therein as the result of condensation or from other sources, with special provision for regulating and equalizing the pressure controlling the movement of the relief-valves. I fit, by a steam-tight joint, to the outside of each exhaust-Valve box of a steam-cylinder a bonnet,

- within which I seat a valve opening outward.

Upon each bonnet I secure by bolts, to form a steam-tight joint, a dischargepipe, which in that portion adjacent to the exhaust-va1ve box is provided with aslceve through which operates the relief-valve stem, and at the end farthest removed from the exhaust-valve box is provided with a steam-tight swivel-jointed branch pipe or elbow. At one side of the cylinder I suspend from a bracketsupport 5 bolted to the cylinder a clasp carrying a gear and pinion and an elliptical or extended spring, which controls the movement of the relief-valves. This spring I make the required length to reach from one exhaust-valve box to 0 the other on the same side of the cylinder and thickest in its middle section with a gradual taper therefrom to each end. At each extremity the spring engages a shoe, which in turn presses against the end of the valve-stem 5 to hold the valve upon its seat.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan of my invention, part being shown in section. Fig. 2 is an elevation of same. Fig. 3 is an end view of the steam-cylinder and a section through line 00 a: of Fig. 2. Fig.

j usting mechanism.

4 is a transverse section (on line 3 y of Fig. 2) showing the springsupport and pressure-ad Fig. 5 is a vertical section (on the line .2 z of Fig. 2) showing detail of swivel-joint.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

M represents the steamcylinder; M M, the exhaust-valve boxes, and M M the bonnets securely bolted upon the outside of the exhaustvalve boxes to form a steanrtightjoint. M is the discharge-pipe, which is bolted upon the bonnet by bolts on in passing through it, and tapped into the bonnet and hand-nuts m, as shownin Fig.3. This discharge-pipeM is providcd with a sleeve, m,which serves as a complete guide for the stem E of the reliefvalve E, which is seated in the bonnet. At that part ofthe discharge-pipe M farthest removed from the exhaust-valve box M, I attach an elbow or branch pipe, M, by means of a stud-bolt, N,and hand-nuts IT, and thereby form a steamtight swivel-joint.

Upon a hub extending outwardly from the face of the cylinder side flange, M*, I bolt the upper end of a supportingbracket, P, the lower end being supported by two horizontal rods, Q, Q, screwed into the cylinder, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The lower end of the bracket I forms a nut, P, having ears on either side which receive and are made secure to the rods Q. Q. Adjustment of the lower end of the bracket P is obtained by nuts and check-nuts working on the threaded ends of the rods Q Q. The nut P is tapped to receive a screw, S, which carries the spring-supporting clasp G, and the operating-gear S, and pinion T. The gear is fastened upon the screw by a set-screw,

s, and is operated to turn the screw S to move the clasp G by a crankhandle,T,and the pin- 9c ion T having its bearing in the lower part of the clasp G. The clasp G is bored to receive the screw S and counterbored to form a seat for the head S of said screw, which is placed in position by passing it through the opening g made for that purpose in the front face of the clasp G. An opening, 9, extending through said clasp from side to side at right angles to the vertical axial plane of the screw S, receives a spring, H, which I make of elliptical form and thicker in its middle section than at either end for the purpose of properly distributing the strain throughout its entire length. This spring may be formed of one or more leaves. Each end of this spring H loosely engages a shoe, H, which rests against the end of the valve-stem E, both the shoe and the valvestem being furnished with hardened steel bearing-surfaces. The spring H, having the proper set, is passed endwise through the openingg until it is centrally supported by the clasp G. A set-screw, h, in the edge of the clasp G holds the spring firmly in place. In this, which I term the normal position of the spring H, it exerts no pressure upon the valve-stems. In order to bring the pressure of the spring to bear upon the valve-stems, or to increase its pressure to hold the valves to their seats resistingly to the pressure within the cylinder, the clasp G is carried in toward the cylinder, and the crown of the spring H thereby depressed by turning the screw S in the threaded nut P by meansot the crankbandle T operating the pinion T and gear S". A reverse movement of the crank-handle T will withdraw the screw S, and, carrying the clasp G outward, will relieve the pressure of the spring upon the valve stems. The dotted lines in Fig. 1 show the normal position of the spring and adjacent connected parts. The full or solid lines in Fig. 1 show the position of the same parts after the spring has been depressed, as-described, to apply pressure to the valvestems. The spring, combined with the clasp and the operating mechanism described, is adapted and intended to apply to the valvestems a pressure slightly in excess of the maximumlegitimate'workingsteam-pressurein the cylinder acting against the inner faces of the valves. It is obvious, therefore, that so long as the pressure upon the valve-faces does not exceed that exerted by the springs upon the valve-stems, the valves will remain seated with a steam-tight tit; but if from excess of steampressure or accumulation of water within the cylinder from any cause the pressure against the inner faces of the'valves exceeds the springpressure upon the valve-stems the valves will be thrown open and allow the cylinder to be relieved, alter which the spring closes the valves.

It is obvious that the spring H, being centrally poised and engaging the valve-stems at each exhaust-valve box on the same side of the cylinder, will equalize the pressure upon the valve stems and allow each valve to open under equal pressure.

To facilitate access to the relief valves and adjacent parts for inspection I avail myself of the fact that the spring H is centrally pivoted, and swing it in its vertical plane, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, to clear the valves and that portion of the cylinderports covered by it.

My combination of the rehetvalves with the exhaust-valve boxes avoids the necessity for providing other passages for the relief.

I claim as my invention and desire to se cure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with the exhaust-valvebonnet M, of a relief-valve, E, and means for holding it with yielding force, said relief-valve being arranged and adapted to open outward from the exhaust-valve bonnet against the force of the controlling means.

2. In combination with an exhaust-valve box, a bonnet, M valve E, and means, as a weight or spring, for holding said valve upon its seat with yielding force, said valve being adapted to open outward from said exhaustvalve box against the force of said controlling means.

3. The valve E, operating means H, bonnet M", and discharge pipe M combined with each other and with the exhaustyalve box M of a steam-engine, all arranged and adapted to serve as and for the purpose specified.

4. The valve E, valve stem E, bonnet M", and pipe M, provided with a sleeve, m, combined with each other and with means H for applying a yielding force upon said valvestem to hold the valve upon its seat, all substantially as herein specified.

5. In a cylinderrelief, the combination, with the two exhaust-valve bon nets and two reliefvalves and reliefvalve stems, ofa spring centrally supported and adapted to exert equal pressure upon the two valve-stems on the same side of the cylinder, all substantially as herein specified.

6. The elliptical spring H, clasp G, shoes H H, valves E E, and valve-stems E E, combined with each other and with means S for depressing said spring to apply pressure to said valrestems, all substantially as herein specified.

7. The clasp G, screw S, gear S, pinion T, and crank T, combined with each other, as shown, and with a nut, P, the whole arranged and adapted to serve as specified.

8. The bracket P, provided with a nut, P, and ears on either side of said nut, combined with rods Q, Q, cylinder M, and cylinder side flange, M", adapted to serve for a support for the clasp G, and spring H, as herein specified.

9. The bonnet M relief-valve E, means H for holding with yielding force, and dischargepipe M combined with each other and with the stud-bolts m m and hand-nuts m to form a sleam-tightjoint, all substantially as herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at Providence,Rhode Island, this 3d day of January, 1888, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE H. GORLISS.

\Vitnesses:

HENRY MARSH, Jr., JAMES TRIBE. 

